Borscht – Борщ
Borscht is one of the most well-known Soviet recipes, a Ukrainian beet soup made with many other vegetables. This version is made with beef, potatoes, cabbage, lots of aromatic vegetables. I share all my tips for a vibrantly bright red Borscht that has so much incredible flavor.
There are so many variations of Borscht recipes, because everyone likes to add their special touch. I grew up eating it regularly and have always loved it. This soup is so hearty and full of nutrients; you can just feel the vitamins as you eat each delicious spoonful.
This amazing soup is just brimming with so many vegetables – onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, cabbage, beets, tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs. You can add meat to the soup or keep it vegetarian and add beans or dry mushrooms. Both variations are so delicious.
Borscht always brings me back to my childhood and it’s one of the most special meals to share with my family today. My boys have loved it since they were babies. It makes me so happy to be filling them up with something so nutritious. Not only is it fantastic during the summer when all the produce is amazingly fresh, but it’s such a comforting dish to enjoy in the cold winter months, whether you live in snowy New York or sunny Florida.
Ingredients
Scroll to the bottom of the page for the printable recipe with measurements.
- beets
- I love using roasted beets for Borscht. Here’s a detailed recipe for How To Roast Beets. You can also use canned beets.
- beef
- Chuck or top sirloin are my favorite cuts of beef to use for Borsch. You can also use beef stew meat, although it may not be as tender.
- broth
- You can use chicken broth, beef broth or vegetable broth.
- You can certainly omit the chicken broth and just use beef broth that you’ll get when cooking the beef, just make more broth. You can also add some beef bones and add 11 cups of water to the pot. Strain the broth when the beef is falling apart and fork-tender. Return the broth to the pot and continue with the recipe.
- butter or oil (for sauteing vegetables)
- onion
- carrots
- celery
- garlic
- potatoes
- Any potatoes can be used for Borscht, but I like gold potatoes or baking/Russet potatoes best.
- cabbage
- tomato sauce
- You can use a variety of tomato products here – tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, I’ve even used Adjika.
- lemon juice or vinegar
- salt, ground black pepper + peppercorns/bay leaves for broth
- fresh herbs (dill, green onions, parsley)
- sour cream – to serve
Beets For Borscht
Beets are the one of the most important ingredients in Borscht. I prefer using roasted beets, but you can also use canned beets or other cooked store bought beets.
You can also cook the beets yourself in a pot filled with water until the beets are cooked through and can be pierced with a paring knife or a skewer.
You can also start out with raw beets, grate or finely slice them, then proceed with the steps in the recipe, it will just take longer for the beets to cook through.
Cooking the Beef, Broth and the Base of Borscht
You can use beef short ribs, beef shank or oxtails, which all are on the bone, but I also like to use beef chuck or beef top sirloin too.
- Cut the beef chuck or top sirloin into bite-sized pieces and place it in a small/medium pot with just enough water to cover the beef by about an inch.
- I also often use my Instant Pot (an electric pressure cooker) for cooking the beef while I am cooking the rest of the Borscht.
- If you’re using the Instant Pot, cook the beef ribs, shank, oxtail or chuck on Manual mode, High Pressure for 45-65 minutes. The beef top sirloin only needs 20 minutes to cook.
- If you’re cooking the beef on the stovetop, bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook at a simmer for 1 – 1 ½ hours, until fork tender, while cooking the borsch. You can also add some black peppercorns and bay leaves to flavor the broth. Skim off the foam from the top of the beef broth as it is cooking.
- My personal preference is to use Chicken Broth for Borscht. I usually make big batches of Chicken Broth and have it in my freezer. You can definitely make more beef broth while you are cooking the beef and use the beef broth instead of the chicken.
- You can also use store bought chicken, beef or vegetable broth too.
How To Make Borscht
- Prep all the ingredients.
- Make the broth. (Chicken broth is my favorite.)
- Cook the beef until it’s cooked through and tender.
- Roast the beets.
- Finely chop the onion, grate the carrot(s), slice or chop the celery.
- While the beef is cooking, prepare the rest of the Borscht in a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Saute the aromatic vegetables in the Dutch oven.
- Heat the butter or oil and add the onion, carrot, and celery, season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes.
- Pour in the water and chicken broth. Add the potatoes and cabbage to the Borscht.
- Bring to a boil, season with salt and keep cooking, at a simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, 15-20 minutes.
- If you are using really young green cabbage, you may want to add it after the potatoes are halfway done cooking, since they don’t take as long to cook as older, more white cabbage.
- Meanwhile, cook the beets.
- Place the beets in a large skillet with the tomato sauce, water, lemon juice and sugar. Season with salt and ground black pepper.
- The lemon juice will keep the beets a beautiful, vibrant red and also give it a slight tang to the Borscht. The sugar balances out the acidity of the lemon juice.
- Cover the skillet, bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on medium heat for about 15 minutes, until most of the water and tomato sauce is absorbed.
- Clear a space in the center of the skillet and add the minced garlic to the beets, cooking for another minute or two, just until the garlic is cooked through.
- When the potatoes are tender, add the beets to the soup and turn off the heat.
- By this time, the beef should be fork-tender. Add the beef to the soup.
- If you like the soup to be thinner, use some of the beef broth (strained) to get the consistency you want.
Serving and Storing Borscht
Serve the Borscht with fresh herbs – dill, green onions, parsley and sour cream. We love serving it with Black Pumpernickel Bread or Rye Bread.
Store any leftover Borscht in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Borscht Video
Meal Prep
Borscht has lots of steps, so meal prepping is the key 😊. If you have time, peel, slice, chop, grate, etc. as much of the ingredients as you can. I often make the broth and cook the beef ahead of time too. It’s so much faster and more efficient to make Borscht if you meal prep in advance.
- Make the chicken broth ahead of time. I often make a big batch and store the extra broth in my freezer.
- Cook the beef ahead of time as well. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Roast the beets. You can also store those in the refrigerator for up to several days ahead of time.
- Prep the veggies.
- Chop the onion. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1-2 days.
- Grate the carrot/chop the celery. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Peel and chop the potatoes. Make sure the potatoes are completely submerged in water while storing in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Slice the cabbage. Store in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
- You can also wash the fresh herbs. How to store fresh herbs.
Helpful Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, most soups freeze really well. However, the potatoes will fall apart and get mushy, so keep that in mind. I prefer to make a large batch of Borscht and enjoy it for a few days instead. If you don’t mind that the texture of the potatoes will change after freezing, store the soup in the freezer for up to 3 months.
It is very easy to make Borscht without meat. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and use oil for sautéing the vegetables, not butter. Garnish the soup with vegan sour cream or don’t use sour cream at all.
Instead of meat, you can add beans or dry mushrooms. Dry porcini mushrooms are my favorite.
Vegetarian/Vegan Borscht Recipe
1. Add acid to the beets – lemon juice, vinegar and a tomato product. All these things help to keep the beets red.
2. Cook the beets separately, then add them to the Borscht. Turn off the Borscht as soon as you add the beets.
3. Don’t cook the beets too long in the soup. Don’t cook the beets in the soup and when reheating, heat only the portion you will eat and only bring it to a simmer. Lastly, don’t boil the Borscht for more than a few minutes.
Borscht
Borscht is one of the most well-known Soviet recipes. It is a Ukrainian beet soup made with many other vegetables. This version is made with beef, potatoes, cabbage, lots of aromatic vegetables and is served with fresh herbs and sour cream. I share all my tips for a vibrantly bright red Borscht that has so much incredible flavor.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
Ingredients
- 8 oz boneless chuck beef or top sirloin (cut into bite-sized pieces or 1 lb bone-in beef shank)
- water to cook the beef
- 12 cups chicken broth (plus additional water for the Borscht, if you want to thin it out, 2–4 cups)
- 1 Tablespoon butter or oil
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 carrot (shredded)
- 1 celery stalk (finely chopped)
- 2 cups (2–3 gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
- 2–3 cups finely sliced cabbage
- 2–3 medium beets (roasted, peeled and shredded or thinly julienned)
- 1 cup water (for sauteing the beets)
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3–5 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons each fresh dill and green onion (to garnish)
- sour cream, for serving
Instructions
- Cut the beef chuck or top sirloin into bite-sized pieces and place it into a small pot with just enough water to cover the beef by about an inch. You can also use a bone in beef shank instead of the chuck.
- Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook at a simmer for 1 – 1 ½ hours, until fork tender, while cooking the Borscht. You can also add some black peppercorns and bay leaves to flavor the broth. Skim off the foam from the top of the beef broth as it is cooking.
- If cooking the beef in the Instant Pot, cook the chuck or beef shank for about an hour or the top sirloin for 20 minutes.
- While the beef is cooking, prepare the rest of the Borscht in a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Heat the butter or oil and add the onion, carrot, and celery. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Cook on medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes.
- Pour in the water and chicken broth. Add the potatoes and cabbage to the Borsch. Bring to a boil, season with salt and keep cooking, at a simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the beets in a large skillet with the tomato sauce, 1 cup water, lemon juice (or vinegar) and sugar. Season with salt and ground black pepper. The lemon juice will keep the beets a beautiful, vibrant red and also give it a slight tang to the Borsch. The sugar balances out the acidity of the lemon juice.
- Cover the skillet, bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on medium heat for about 15 minutes, until most of the water and tomato sauce is absorbed into the beets.
- I prefer using roasted beets for Borscht, but you can also cook the beets in a pot with water or even use raw beets, but you will have to cook them much longer on the skillet. If you’re sautéing raw beets, you will need to add more water to the skillet and cook the beets longer until they are completely cooked through and tender.
- Clear a space in the center of the skillet and add the minced garlic to the beets, cooking for another minute or two, just until the garlic is cooked through.
- When the potatoes are tender, add the beets to the soup and take Borsch off the heat. By this time, the beef should be fork-tender.
- If you like the consistency of the soup, drain the beef, if you like the soup to be thinner, drain the beef through a fine mesh sieve and add the beef liquid to the soup as well. If you used beef shank, remove the meat from the bone and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Add the beef to the Borsch as well.
- Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with finely chopped fresh dill and green onions. We like to add a dollop of sour cream to our bowl of Borscht.
Notes
If you are using really young green cabbage, you may want to add it after the potatoes are halfway done cooking, since they don’t take as long to cook as older, more white cabbage.
This is an updated version of the Borscht recipe that was published originally on November 21, 2011. The recipe is the same, with updated pictures and a new video.
63 Comments
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Gulyana
Beautiful presentation! I love borsch, my favorite in the winter nights and summer days also, and it tastes better the next day 🙂
Shalom
Wow this was DELICIOUS! And all this time I was convinced that a made the best borsch ;-). Thank u for posting this because this is the only way I will be making it from now on!
Olga K.
Thank you Natasha! You’re making me crave sone borsch. I’ll probably make some soon. I’m so glad you liked it!
Darinee
Ольга, я давно не встречала настоящий борщ на свекле. Все-таки сейчас чаще встречаешь томатный.
olgak7
Darinee,
Borsch is my favorite Russian soup and I definitely can’t imagine it without the beets. Beets are wonderful. It’s too bad not many people appreciate them enough:).
Natali
Borsch is Ukrainian soup.
olgak7
I believe Ukrainians are Slavic:). I’m sure no matter what nationality prepares Borsch, it’s still just as tasty. Since I’m 1/4 Ukrainian, I hope I’m allowed to make it.
Jen Romanova
Borscht is delicious RUSSIAN soup. The Belarus restaurant near me makes wonderful soup my mother love. Now my cousins grandfather was a chef for Lenin and he use a ham bone in his soup and I don’t have ham bone or anything but you know everybody has their own tweeks. My mother love this soup and I miss my grandmother her name was Olga. She cook like you ….real. Good food. I am proud to be Russian American and will not hide it. God bless you.
veronika
I am glad you posted this recipe, it’s my favorite, I always craving it, but every time I am making it, it’s something missing I just couldn’t figure out what, now I see, I wasn’t using the lemon juice, the beef, etc. From now on I will make exactly like this. I love beets. Thank you for posting.
olgak7
I’m so glad to hear that this recipe was helpful for you. Borsch is my favorite soup for sure. It’s so delicious. I’m making a huge pot of it tomorrow, because you reminded me of it and now I’m craving it, Veronika.
veronika
I love beets, I don’t know why so many people don’t like beets, when you tell them they are like: what is that? or what do you do with that? funny…
olgak7
Ha ha! So true.
Tatyana
Hi Olga! Great job on making the borscht 😉 I cook mine almost the same way and I am glad there are still people who can cook the real borscht 😉 God bless!
olgak7
Ha ha! Thanks, Tatyana. In this day and age there are so many shortcuts but making something like Borsch is so satisfying:).
olga
For the chuck beef is it the pot roast kind? Not the chuck beef steak kind right?
olgak7
It’s the same cut of meat, Olga, except one is cut into a roast and the other into a steak. You can use both.
Irina
Wow, beautiful pictures! I just found your site and am in love with all the Russian recipes. I love the beauty of borscht. I just posted a recipe for borscht on my website and it’s amazing how different the prep can be. I think everybody’s borcht recipe is different. In fact, my borscht from week to week might even taste different! Borscht just has that reputation. Cheers from a fellow Russian.
olgak7
Thanks, Irina! Yep, you’re certainly right that every cook has their own version of Borsch, kind of like Chicken Noodle Soup too. The best loved recipes are the ones that everybody puts their special twist on:).
Natalia
It is really delicious, but this is Ukrainian nationality dish.
olgak7
Yes, it is delicious. I think the most important thing is that this is a delicious and healthy soup, enjoyed by many nationalities, Natalia.
Alina Lubensky
It’s important to be correct where from food what you posted, I’m sure :)!
Vita
This may be the perfect recipe! If I understand correctly, the beef is cooking separately and you add it towards the end. So I’m thinking I can make half a vegetarian version with veggie stock and to the other half I can add the meat, for those who like borscht with meat.
olgak7
Yes, absolutely, Vita. Great idea, Vita.
Kitterbugg
Hello Olga,
I adore everything about your blog! Your recipes, stunning photography, and happy, grateful spirit! I have had a many months long stint on TPN several years ago also, though never suffered a thing like the physical and emotional trauma, or heart break that you and your family went through. I am so sorry about that. But I am also deliriously happy for the blessings you are now enjoying!
I am trying to tell from your photo… Your broth looks so clear and beautiful and I do not see any tomato? Is it possible you omitted the sauce and diced for the better photo or you personally just prefer your borscht without? I am thinking about my options!
Kitterbugg
Tomato! Sorry, I left that word! I can’t see any tomato product in your phot of the borscht. Maybe it’s just my grandma eyes missing it. I really want to get my first try at borscht just right! Thank-you!
olgak7
Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Kitterbug. I really appreciate your kind words. All the trials in my life have taught me a lot and make me appreciate things so much more. I’m sorry you had to deal with TPN too:(.
In regards to the Borsch – I used pureed tomatoes. I just put some diced tomatoes in the food processor. I always add some sort of tomato product to Borsch and it goes in with the beets. I love the touch of acidity and the flavor that it adds to the Borsch. It still leaves the broth nice and clear.
moon
A polish chef introduced me to the polish version of this. It’s less beetroot and red cabbage, and more normal cabbage and polish white sausage. Then it can be served in a cooked round loaf of bread – crusty on the outside with the inside scooped out – and then a boiled egg chopped in half and half a sausage. Delicious.
John McKeel
Hi Olga. I’ve been looking for a recipe that is specifically for pressure canning of Borscht and Solyanka. I’ work so much that I need to take a weekend and cook 20 liters of something to put up so I can grab it on the run out the door to work for lunches and so forth. My X used to make a vegetable Solyanka that was wonderful and Borscht that was to die for. I can make it from any recipe which I have done with many soups. But pressure canning is better when you consider the cooking time while processing. Also, there are some things best not pressure canned and I am not an expert. I need to cook up some batches of things and Borscht and Solyanka are both on my list. Any chance you can publish something for this and alert me when you do? I will love you forever!
olgak7
Hi John,
Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience with pressure canning. That’s a very smart idea; I love that you make Borsch and Solyanka.
Lana
I love soups. This soup looks super delicious!
When you cook soups how do you know what spices or what kind of salt to pair up? For example, when you cook tomato soup what spice/s go together? I like to cook a lot but I’m not good or have much experience.
olgak7
Honestly, it’s completely a matter of taste preference. I just use whatever tastes good to me:).
If there are specific spices/herbs that I think pair especially well with a recipe, I usually write in in the recipe.
Lana
Thanks!
Nifty Recipe
Looks super easy to make and extremely delicious!
Sara
Olga, I LOVE this soup! I do have a question about the recipe….in step 5, you write to add the chicken broth and water. How much water? I don’t see water listed except for a cup that is used in step 6 to cook with the beets. I’m wondering how much water to add with the 12 cups of chicken broth. Thanks!
olgak7
Hi Sara,
The water can be added to thin out the Borsch if you want to to have a thinner consistency. You can add anywhere from 2-4 cups, or not add any at all, depending on how you like your soups, thick or thin.
m'liss
I’ve been looking at this recipe for a long time & finally made it yesterday. I knew I would love it & it didn’t disappoint. I didn’t follow your suggestion to prep ahead, so the recipe did ttake some time, but I made enough to freeze, so it was more than worth it. Loved the sour cream & fresh dill add ons.
I know your recipes are your family favorites, but for me, they’re unusual & I love discovering new tastes. Thanks.
olgak7
Thank you for taking the time to write, M’liss. I’m so glad you enjoyed the Borsch:).
Sara
This is a wonderful recipe although it is very, very time-consuming! Why is it necessary to re-cook the already-roasted beets in the skillet? Why not just add them and the tomato sauce and other ingredients to the pot and saute the garlic with the onion, carrot and celery? I’m wondering if the extra steps, time and dirtying-up another skillet is all warranted.
olgak7
Hi Sara,
I agree that making Borsch is a time consuming process.
You don’t have to cook the beets in a skillet separately if you don’t want to. I share recipes the way that I make them, and that’s how I prefer to do it.
I personally do notice a taste and texture difference.
When you cook the beets in the skillet with the tomato sauce and the garlic, they will have a slightly different flavor. The tomato sauce will caramelize slightly as it cooks with the beets, giving them a sweeter, more developed and deeper/richer flavor. The garlic will also flavor the beets in a different way than if it is sautéed with the carrots celery and then simmered for awhile in the broth. The garlic flavor is much more pronounced when it’s sautéed with the beets and then added to the Borsch at the last minute. In my opinion, it’s worth it to dirty up an additional skillet and to take a little extra time to do this extra step, but you may not find it to be that way and that is totally fine too.
Sara
Olga, Thank you for explaining the rationale behind cooking the beets for second time in a skillet with the tomato sauce and garlic. It makes perfect sense. I am one of those people who needs to understand why I am instructed to do something that takes more time and trouble vs blindly following instructions. I see now why you take these extra steps and agree that it makes quite a noticeable difference.
olgak7
My pleasure, Sara. I love understanding the “why” behind cooking this a certain way too:).
iana ulianova
Great Recipe! I eyeballed quantities, and it came out great, but is there a printable recipe with the exact quantities/measurements of ingredients? Thanks!
olgak7
Yes, at the bottom of the post.
Katya S.
Loved the recipe! I have never tried to make it with chicken and beef broth combined, turned out delicious!
olgak7
That’s great, Katya! So glad you enjoyed the combo:).
Lydia
Love this recipe! I’ve made this one and your vegetarian borsch version several times and they always turn out great! It definitely is a slightly more time consuming recipe but so worth it. The only thing I change when I make it is that I usually double the cabbage and halve the potatoes simply because I like cabbage and don’t care as much for potatoes 🙂
Esther Honey
I am making this as I am writing, I have made with shredded chicken as my husband can’t eat much meat due to too much iron in his blood.
Esther Honey
Olga oh dear silly me I missed the roasting part and just skillet cooked the beetroot. Ah well there is always a next time and I will see the flavour difference. Beautiful soup though and I adore beets. I added chicken and is still delicious. I would love the beef. I’ll make it next time. It a huge thank you for delicious food
Sara
Will you please adjust the settings for your recipes to print in solid black? I love your cooking and have printed many of your recipes, most of which print in a light gray color which is too light and very hard to read. I do wonder why you don’t select black as the default font color as it’s such an easy thing to do. I don’t meant to sound critical, just frustrated as to why I can hardly read the recipes after I print them. And, no, it’s not the fault of my printer as everything else prints just fine. It’s only your recipes that are hard to read as the font is light gray.
I love your cooking and am thankful for your sharing so much of yourself with your admiring public.
Anynomous
What are the calories for Borsch?
olgak7
Sorry, I don’t measure calories, but there are many calculators online you can use by inserting the ingredients amounts to find out.
Harry
Excellent Recipe. Tried it today and was fantastic. Thank you.
Katya
Hello Olga, I love your website, videos and recipes! I’m making borscht for some friends this weekend, but I’ve never made it w/o dill. I usually just go with what I was taught, but I’m going to try your recipe. Do you ever use dill?
BTW, your boys are adorable!
olgak7
Hi Katya.
Thank you for the kind words.
I always use dill as well. I included it in the recipe list of ingredients and in the instructions. I add it in at the end along with fresh green onions. Borsch wouldn’t taste the same to me without dill too:). It’s so delicious.
Katya
Everyone loved the borsch! I made cucumber salad, cheese dumplings (made from homemade farmers cheese) and rakushki too. A wonderful evening!
olgak7
So happy to hear that, Katya.
Thank you for taking the time to write.
Jessica Vustyan
Loving your recipes Olga! So grateful I can explore Slavic cooking to serve my Ukrainian husband and include in our household to enrich the cultural upbringing of our children. Blessings from Australia!
olgak7
Thank you for the kind words, Jessica. I really appreciate it.
Elena
Thank you for this “cheat sheet”. I always get frustrated when I ask my mom and she says “na glaz”.
Referring to your step #7 about the beets, someone taught me to throw the beets whole, in with the meat. Then take it out and shred it when you’re ready to add it to the zazharka. It makes the borscht so much more vibrant!
olgak7
That’s a great tip, Elena. Thank you for sharing.
Karen S
Made this today for Thanksgiving; first try at borscht. Delicious! I subbed in a small chopped fennel bulb for the celery and part of the cabbage. Used red potatoes and left the peels on. Also added half a chopped green bell pepper, as a Ukrainian friend does. (I think he might use a whole one. Next time I will.) . Next time I’ll add the full three cups of cabbage. Thanks so much for the written and video tips! Super-helpful, P.S. I covered the cutting board with a plastic bag, mopped up/washed off any stray beet bits, and wore nitrile gloves. So the kitchen is a mess, but it doesn’t resemble a crime scene. 😉
Dani Lovell
This looks amazing! Can I roast the beef to caramelise it and then throw it in the pot with the stock for extra flavour? Is there a reason why you don’t cook the beef in the stock pot with the veggies?
I can’t wait to try this tomorrow!
olgak7
Hi Dani,
Yes, you can definitely brown the beef first, if you prefer. I personally think it makes the soup too greasy, so I just cook it without browning it. The abundance of veggies gives it such a hearty flavor already, we love it the way it is.